Amalgamating-machine.



No. 697-,l76. Patented A r; 8, I902.

G. c. scan.

AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

(Application filed. June 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

VV/TJQESS s.-

UNTTTLD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERARD O. SCOTT, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AMALGAMATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 697,176, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed June 22, 1901. Serial No. 65,550. (No model.)

1'0 (oZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GERARD G. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oolun1- bus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovementinAmalgamating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of amalgamating-machines; and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of amalgamating-machines of that class which are adapted for the separation of precious metals from ore pulp passed through the machine under pressure, to provide asimple and effective machine of this class of superior construction and arrangement of parts, to so construct said improved machine as to facilitate the passage of the ore-pulp theret-hrough and at the same time subject the same to a comparatively large area of amalgamating-surface, to provide improved means for removing the mercuryfrom and feeding the mercury into the machine, and to produce other improvements, the details of construction of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central vertical section of my improved machine, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line a: m of Fig. 1.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I employ a casing which, as indicated in the drawings, is formed of upper and lower detachably-connected sections m and m. At what we will term the rear end of the machine the upper section is provided with a vertical inletneck a, which rises above the machine, and at its opposite or forward end said casing is provided with an upwardly-inclined outlet extension I).

WVithin the body of the casing formed as above described are journaled in suitable bearings which extend from. the casing the spindles c of a drum 0, said drum having its periphery provided with the desired number of spirally-arranged amalgamating-blades on, said blades being formed of copper and having their outer edges adapted to run in close proximity to the inner surface of the casing.

The bottom of the lower casing-section m has formed therein longitudinally a pocket or recess m one end of which is provided with a valve-controlled outlet m.

The lower portion of the lower casing-section m is incased by a jacket 72., thereby form-- ing a steam or hot-air heating-chamber, and

the chamber thus formed is provided with inlet and outlet pipes t' and 1c.

The lower portion of the casing-section m is, as indicated at d, designed to contain a desirable body of mercury, the latter ordinarily rising to such height as to insure the running of the periphery of the drum 0 as well as the blades m within the same.

Leading outward from the lower portion of the casing'section m at a point immediately above or in line with the upper side of the longitudinal pocket or recess m is a pipe-section 0, the latter being provided at a suitable point on the outer side of the casing with a valve 0. Through the medium of a flexible pipe-section p, of rubber or other suitable ma terial, the pipe-section o is connected with the lower portion of a suitably-formed mercury cup or reservoir 3. mercury reservoir or cup, owing to the yielding or flexible nature of the pipe-section p,will naturally drop downward to the position indicated in the drawings, in which position the mercury contained in the machine-casing will be carried into said reservoir, providing the valve 0 is open. In order to raise the reservoir 8 to such point or height, as indicated in dotted lines, which will facilitate the running of the mercury therefrom into the lower portion of the casing, suitable means for lifting said reservoir may be providedsuch, for instance, as the cord or rope 8' shown in the drawings-although other wellknown or desirable means may be employed for this purpose.

Upon one of the spindles of the drum 0 is provided a suitable belt-wheel g, the operating-belt of which, as indicated at f in dotted lines, may be run through the inlet a to a suitable power-wheel.

In operation the ore-pulp is fed into the machine under pressure through the inlet a, where,partly through said pressure and partly through the action of the spirally-arranged amalgamating-blades m, it will be carried to It is obvious that this the opposite end of the machine and forced outward through the outlet Z). In its-rotary movement the drum 0 carries the blades m through the mercury d, thus subjecting the entire surfaces of said blades to a mercurybath at each revolution of the drum. In its passage through the casing it will readily be understood that the ore-pulp, cominginto contact with the surfaces of the amalgamatingdrum and its spirally-arranged blades, will be subjected to the well-known amalgamating action of the mercurially-treated copper surfaces,with the result thata desirable separation of the precious metals from the ore will be attained, while the tailings will pass outward through the outlet 5. It will be seen that the blades m will serve the double purpose of assisting in the amalgamation process and of carrying the material through the machine, thus insuring a comparatively rapid and thorough amalgamation. Owing to the fact that a heating-chamber h is provided about'the body of mercury the mercury has imparted thereto the desired temperature.

The means heretofore described for withdrawing the mercury from the body of the casing for the purposes of cleaning or otherwise and of carrying the mercury into the casing are exceedingly simple, although-effective.

In order to prevent any tendency of the incoming volume of ore-pulp toward being discharged directly into the body of mercury contained at the inner or rear end of the machine, and thus producing an undesirable agitation of the mercury, I may provide the inner end of the machine at a point adjacent to the mercury with a forwardly-projecting stop-shoulder h, which will operate toinsure the body of mercury at the inner end of the casing from direct contact with the incoming ore-pulp.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an amalgamating-machine, the combi nation with a casing having an inlet-opening at one end and outlet-opening at the other, of an amalgamating-body rotatably supported within said casing and adapted to run in a body of mecury'contained within the casing, of a pipe-section 0 leading outward from the body of mercury, a mercury reservoir or holder, means for raising said holder to a higher level than said pipe-section and lowering the same to a level below that of said pipe-section and a flexible connection between said outlet-pipe and reservoir, substantially as specified.

GERARD O. SCOTT.

In presence of C. O. SHEPHERD, W. L. MORROW. 

